How Can You Close and Fail
by Winnie Beatles
Summary: Rated T for safety. During the Final Battle, Toph is the one who takes on Azula. Who wins? Who loses? Read and find out! Not a one-shot. Some Tokka.


As the final battle against the Firelord reached it's climax, the tension between the two armies increased in intensity

A/n: This will be a 2-shot folks. It's separate from my other collection just because I want it to be (and because it is of a slightly different genre than the rest of mine). But still, there shall be Tokka.

As the final battle against the Firelord reached it's climax, the tension between the two armies increased in intensity. As Aang took off on his glider to face Firelord Ozai, the rest of the gang fought with the main bulk of the combined Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom forces to fight the vast Fire Nation army.

In addition to Ozai, there was one other firebender Sokka, Toph, and Katara were trying to seek out: Azula.

Toph was the first to sense her nimble and powerful footsteps as she commanded the fire nation soldiers that protected her in a circle. Toph alerted the earthbenders around her of the princess, and she led them in a charge toward Azula and her forces. Toph steamrolled straight through the circle to get to Azula, and stood before her ready for battle.

"Ah, the Avatar's blind earthbending teacher, how wonderful." Azula said matter-of-factly with her cruel tone of voice, "It'll be a challenge ending you, but I know I can do it."

"Talk is cheap," Toph responded simply, "You can say it as much as you want, it doesn't mean it will happen,"

"Well, we'll just see about that, won't we?" Azula said, making the first move with a quick lightning shot from her hand.

The soldiers and benders of both sides backed up as Azula and Toph began circling each other, each like a wolf ready to kill the other. Azula ran toward Toph and Toph responded by gripping Azula bodily and forcing her backward. A death struggle ensued as the blind earthbender and the princess of the fire nation locked violent hands on each other, fighting without their bending, for the moment.

Suddenly, Azula let out a sharp command, "Mai! Ty Lee!"

At once, Toph felt a quick blow to the back of her shoulder and two sharp daggers sink into her side. Toph growled, so Azula wanted to play dirty, eh? Well, it was time to smoke her at her own game. Toph used her earthbending to shift Azula's feet from under her and then knocked her down flat with a headbutt, the sharp spike on her helmet jabbing and making contact with Azula's body.

Toph's right arm was now useless due to Ty Lee's quick jab, and her side was in tremendous pain from the small, sharp weapons that still stuck in her side, courtesy of Mai. But Toph was tough, she stood her ground, prepared to take anything Azula had to dish out head on.

Azula fired a bright streak of lightning from her fingertips at Toph, but Toph redirected it by bending a spire of earth so the crackling electricity merely hit the ground. The vicious fight continued, blue lightning and sharp shards and columns of earth firing back and forth between the two fierce females. After a while, both were wearing down and panting hard.

Azula was covered in long jagged cuts where rock had sliced her skin. But she didn't have nearly as many injuries on her body as Toph had on hers. Countless burns and singes marked Toph's clothes and skin from the lightning, an element that Toph had trouble detecting, had struck. Both of them were pondering the next move to fire at their opponent.

Toph could hear the crackling of electricity as Azula prepared a large jolt of electricity with which to attack. Toph stood still, waiting and listening for the pending attack before readying her own.

Lighting flashed and earth erupted as both let loose a move simultaneously.

When the dust cleared, the on-lookers could see the victor and vanquished clearly. A thick, powerful pillar of rock still stood where it had made fatal and forceful contact with Azula's skull. Toph had been struck by a bright and deadly bolt of lighting to the middle. Toph was standing and Azula was lying in a defeated heap a short distance away.

Toph had won, but at such a price. Water Tribe warriors joined the cheering earthbenders as the firebenders and soldiers retreated. Sokka and Katara ran over to congratulate Toph on her triumph, but their joy quickly faded to concern as they got closer and noticed the amount of blood leaking from Toph's many open wounds and the unsteadiness of her feet.

Toph felt weak and exhausted. She was hurt and bleeding in too many places. She had been shocked, burned, and mauled too greatly to survive much longer. Toph might have defeated Azula, but Azula had defeated her too. Toph's legs couldn't support her and she toppled backward, right into Sokka's outstretched arms. He held her small frame close, trying to provide some comfort to her suffering. Her body was limp and battered, and now shivering. She laid her head against Sokka's chest, as her breath escaped ragged and light from her throat. Katara began to tend to Toph's battle wounds with waterbending, trying her best even though she knew the chances were very slim that Toph would survive.

At that moment, Aang returned on his glider, also tired and hurt, but with a satisfied smile on his face. "Well, I finally defeated the Fire Lord, and –" He stopped mid-sentence as he finally took in the situation. A badly wounded Toph, the sad look on Sokka's face as he held her close, and a few tears falling from Katara's eyes as she tried to heal the earthbender's broken body.

"Is Toph going to be alright?" Aang asked, fear, guilt, and sadness chilling over his body.

Toph was the only one to react to the sound of his voice, "Twinkletoes!" Toph managed to say with a weak smile, her head still resting softly against Sokka.

Aang walked over and squatted next to Sokka to get closer to his earthbending sifu. "Toph, what happened?"

The blind earthbender grinned, "I beat Azula, but I think she beat me too." This last bit she said with a hint of sadness in her voice. Aang engulfed her in a loving hug, and Toph tried to return it. Then Katara took a turn to embrace Toph as tears continued to fall. Sokka continued to cradle her small body in his arms, rocking gently. Toph limply lifted her good arm up to cup Sokka's cheek in her hand. She brought his face downward slightly and gave his cheek a light kiss, and he gave her one back. Toph then let her sightless eyes close and give in to the overpowering fatigue.

Sokka felt her body go slack, it was the same as Yue's had felt when she had died in his arms. He put his face close to hers and pleaded softly into her ear, "Toph, please don't leave us."

Surrounded by darkness, Toph could still hear his desperate, loving, and deeply saddened voice penetrate the engulfing darkness swirling around her, tempting her to sleep a final sleep.

"Toph, can you hear me? Please come back, don't leave me."

A/n: Well, this first part has to be the most tragic thing I've ever written. If you want to find out what happens, I suggest you review.


End file.
